Non-owner occupied dwellings eliminated from commercial zoning districts in Dunn County
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Non-owner occupied dwellings have been eliminated from limited commercial zoning districts in Dunn County.
The Dunn County Board adopted an ordinance on a second reading at the September 20 meeting which is an amendment to the county’s comprehensive zoning ordinance that eliminates non-owner occupied dwellings in limited commercial districts and allows a single-family residence as an accessory use to a business in a commercial district.
Non-owner occupied dwellings — or in other words, rental units — had been included in the revision of the comprehensive zoning code adopted in 2017.
Michael Kneer, county board supervisor from Menomonie and a member of the Dunn County Planning, Resources and Development Committee, which submitted the amendment to the zoning ordinance for county board consideration, was at one time a member of the plan commission in the Town of Menomonie.
Kneer had noted early on in PR&D committee discussions that allowing non-owner occupied dwellings in commercial districts undermined the town’s ability to direct where single and multi-family residential units could be built.
The Town of Menomonie has many parcels that are identified in the town’s land use plan as appropriate for future commercial development that are not necessarily compatible with, or desirable for, residential development, he said.
If a developer wants to build single-family or multi-family rental units, the developer can always apply for a rezone to residential, which would put the Town of Menomonie in a better position to direct residential development, Kneer had said.
The adopted ordinance repeals from Section 13.2.9.01(first paragraph) of the comprehensive zoning ordinance: “Non-owner occupied single family and/or multi-family dwellings shall be included in the 3,000 square foot restriction.”
Section 13.2.9.03(b) of the comprehensive zoning ordinance was repealed, which said “Non-owner occupied dwelling, including single and multi-family dwellings (01/18/2017).”
Section 13.2.9.04(a), the section on permitted accessory uses, was repealed and recreated to read as follows: (a) A single-family residence, only as an accessory to a principal use.”
Section 13.2.9.05(b), which is the section on permitted accessory structures of the comprehensive zoning ordinance, was repealed and recreated to read as follows: “A single-family residence, located on the same parcel as the principal use provided that the use of the residence is the accessory use rather than the primary use.”
